By Wole Arisekola
Frantically, I have never been desperate for anything in my life. Never! And how I wish everyone could honestly say so about themselves. Most Nigerians are very desperate to acquire money, fame, and political power. I think the idea of getting something at all costs can drive one crazy, leading someone to make decisions that can prevent them from reaching heaven and drive all rational thoughts from a person’s mind.
I appreciate the word ‘consistency,’ and I am conscious of the word ‘loyalty.’ But to be frank, the politics of alliance with our brothers in the Northern part of Nigeria always comes with a price. Let me take you down memory lane: when Chief S.L. Akintola formed an alliance with the Northern Party, the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), against Chief Awolowo’s Action Group, the majority of the people in Awolowo’s camp incited the Yorubas against him. They turned his people against him. All the good things he was known for were forgotten. He was assassinated in the coup that followed that election.
Another example is Alhaji Lateef Jakande; he was the most popular among the governors elected on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria in the Second Republic. He was referred to as “Baba Kekere,” meaning second in command to Chief Obafemi Awolowo. When the military took over and he was nominated as a Minister, many Yoruba people went against it. He was advised not to have anything to do with the military government. He went against the opinion of the Yorubas, and his political career was destroyed. He lost his relevance in Yoruba politics.
Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola will serve as my third example. Late Chief MKO Abiola was a successful businessman and a detribalized Nigerian. As a philanthropist, he was unrivaled. He was generous to a fault. His sin in Yorubaland before he died was that he associated himself with the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), which was seen by many in the South West as a Northern party against their beloved UPN. Chief Abiola was not accepted politically in the South West before the military annulled his election.
The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) was formed after Chief Abiola’s election was annulled by the General Babangida regime. Chief Abiola eventually died in military custody in 1998 while fighting for both his freedom and the actualization of his mandate.
Aare Abdulazeez Arisekola Alao makes the fourth example, and what actually happened to Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu last week is like child’s play compared to what Arisekola went through during his lifetime for being in support of Northerners in the South West. Late Aare Arisekola was nearly killed at the University of Ibadan by well-organized political thugs who had infiltrated the students on the campus. About 23 of his exotic cars were burned to ashes. Despite being guarded by top security operatives, he sustained a deep cut on his head. Not satisfied, the mob went to his companies in Ibadan and Lagos and burned them down.
A month before that incident, Aare had sent a message to Akolad, his contractor. He asked Akolad to renovate and fortify his office. It was as if he knew that something like that would happen. He traveled abroad, and over 100 exotic cars were parked inside his office. His business partner, Mr. Tribute, was around, and some cash was kept in the office for daily business activities. All these were burned down to nothing. Arisekola Alao lost over 150 cars and property worth billions of Naira as his properties were torched.
When his friend realized this monumental loss, he ordered the Federal Government to pay him a compensation of ₦100 million. The money was paid and lodged in United Bank for Africa. Trust Aare Arisekola Alao, he did not touch it. He kept it with the bank. When Chief Obasanjo came to power and was investigating the Sani Abacha regime, he sent security agents to Arisekola in Ibadan to demand the ₦100 million the Federal Government paid him when his properties were burned. Aare instructed me (Wole) to follow his brother, Akeem, to UBA at Dugbe in Ibadan to prepare a ₦100 million draft in the name of the Federal Government and give it to the security agents who came from Abuja.
Not yet satisfied, they told Aare that they had instructions from the Presidency to bring his international passport and all his traveling documents. He went inside, and when Aare came out, he handed them over. It will go down in history that President Obasanjo kept Aare’s traveling documents with him throughout his eight years in office. When he left office as President, he returned them and told Aare jokingly, “I just wanted you to be in Nigeria with me throughout my stay in power. I kept your passport in my drawer for eight years!” Till today, no one has thought of returning this money to Arisekola Alao’s family. Strange, isn’t it?
There is always a price to pay if you are a Yoruba politician associating with Northern politicians. But now that Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu is on the hot seat. He is the one who sold Buhari to the Yorubas. Some Yorubas don’t like that idea. The Afenifere didn’t want to hear anything about Buhari because of his past record. How Asiwaju managed to overcome this group and gain trust among the Yorubas to support Buhari is still a mystery to me. The well-fortified Yoruba regional party, Alliance for Democracy (AD), was annihilated to pave the way for a smooth alliance with Buhari’s party. The Progressives were not happy. They didn’t like joining a Northern party. They saw Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as a traitor and have been waiting for the day they could take their pound of flesh from him.
The opportunity came when there was a crack among the new political family of Asiwaju Tinubu. They watched, arms folded, faces turned away as Tinubu faced his fate alone. There was no press release from Afenifere and Yoruba elders. They simply maintained their “we warned him” stance. To them, he drove himself to the belly of vultures, and he must pay the price like his past leaders who dared to go against their will. What happened last week was more than a protest. It was a repeat of history.
If you are a Yoruba man and you are into politics, be careful. Study Yoruba politics before you jump into any alliance. And if you are to do so, consult widely. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has entered the political ocean of the SouthWest-North. He is in the middle now; only God knows where it will lead him.
As for me and my family, we will continue to pray for him—for turning boys into men, for bringing some development to our region. Although to many of us, he is not perfect, neither are any of us. But I am pleading with our fathers and brothers to PLEASE forgive him for any sin—big or small—that he might have committed as a person in the name of politics. We should please follow our fathers’ proverb: “TI A BA FI OWO OTUN BA OMO WI, A MA NFI ISI FA MO RA NI” (if we reprimand a child with the right hand, we should embrace him with the left).
IRE OOO
Emi ni omo yin ni tooto
– Wole Arisekola writes from Ibadan
